The increased usage of the personal computer has created a considerable demand for cartridge tape drives that can back up fixed disks at a relatively low cost. One of the most important variables involving the reading of a magnetic tape is the alignment of the head over a data track previously written on the tape. Currently, most tape drives depend on a mechanical alignment to position the head over the data tracks. Most mechanical schemes suffer from drift especially with temperature and humidity variations. Prior art alignment schemes require initial factory adjustments that may not have been made correctly.